Diatoms are tiny, single-celled algae that greatly affect our planet's ecosystem. They are responsible for producing about 20% of the world's oxygen through photosynthesis. These fascinating cells have a complex evolutionary history, acquiring their photosynthetic plastid through serial endosymbiotic events. Studying the phylogeny of the plastid-targeting genes, the authors could trace their origins back to cyanobacteria, plastid of primary algae, and even their eukaryotic hosts.
Heme, a molecule often associated with oxygen transport in animals, is also crucial for almost all organisms. It plays a vital role in the electron transport chain within mitochondria and plastids. The enzymes involved in heme biosynthesis are highly conserved across all eukaryotes, and studying these genes allow us to understand the evolution of diatom complex plastids.
In addition to evolutionary studies, the authors used green fluorescent protein to tag and track these enzymes, revealing their precise subcellular localization. Furthermore, the authors investigated that some of the heme pathway enzymes encoded by multi-copy genes are differentially regulated under various environmental conditions.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1537037
Contact: prof. Ing. Miroslav Oborník, Dr. (
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